Kickoff set for the first week of August; 16 teams to participate in the inaugural season

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) unveiled today dates and kickoff times for the Round of 16 schedule for the 2017 edition of the Scotiabank CONCACAF League, the region’s newest club competition.

The Scotiabank CONCACAF League crowns a champion among a field of 16 qualified club teams from Central America and the Caribbean. The pairings for the Round of 16 of the premier edition of CONCACAF’s newest club competition were revealed at a draw in Miami last month.

First leg matches of the Round of 16 are scheduled to be played from August 1-3, and will begin in Central America with action featuring Chorrillo FC (PAN) v CD Honduras Progreso (HON) and Santos de Guapiles FC (CRC) v San Juan Jabloteh (TRI).

The opening matches are the first to be played among the eight slated for the opening week, as the Scotiabank CONCACAF League kicks off across eight countries in Central America and the Caribbean.

The first leg matches will be completed on Thursday night, with matches in Trinidad & Tobago, Nicaragua and Honduras. Central FC (TRI) will host Deportivo Arabe Unido (PAN), CD Walter Ferretti (NCA) faces the Belmopan Bandits (BLZ) and CD Olimpia (HON) will take on LD Alajuelense (CRC), in a Central American “Clásico”.

The second leg Round of 16 matches will be played the following week, August 8-10, beginning with San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) vs. Santos de Guapiles FC (CRC), Real Esteli FC (NCA) vs. CD Aguila (SLV) and Alianza FC (SLV) vs. Platense FC (HON).

The range of dates for the first leg quarterfinals, to be disputed among the eight Round of 16 winners, is August 15-17. The second leg quarterfinals are scheduled for August 22-24. Click here to see the bracket.

The championship home-and-away final of the Scotiabank CONCACAF League is scheduled for October. The tournament champion earns a ticket to join 15 additional club qualifiers from across the region – including Canada, Mexico and the United States, in the revamped Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League. The next edition of the Champions League will be played from February – April 2018.

Scotiabank CONCACAF League 2017 Round of 16 Schedule*ET (local time) & home team listed first

The expanded CONCACAF club competitions platform – including the newly launched Scotiabank CONCACAF League and the re-designed Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League -- features 31 club teams from across the Confederation.

The 2018 edition of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League kicks off in February of next year, featuring the winner of the 2017 Scotiabank CONCACAF League and 15 more of the best clubs from the entire CONCACAF region, including the Caribbean and Central America, plus Mexico, the United States and Canada. The champion of that competition will represent the region in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup